Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzy Deyoung. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Suzy DeYoung was born with what she refers to as the “family genetic disorder” of loving to cook- she was destined to become a chef. Her father, Pierre Adrian, brought fine dining and the city’s first Mobil 5-star rating to Cincinnati with The Maisonette. Her maternal grandfather, Albert Schmidt, was the chef of the Union Club in New York city. Another grandfather, Theo Kieffer was the Chef of the Sherry Netherland in New York City.
Following in her father’s footsteps, she worked both the front and back of the house in many iconic Cincinnati restaurants. After a year in France, working as cook in casual bistros as well as Michelin 3-star La Gavroche London and L’Auberge d’Ill in Alsace, Suzy returned with a vision.
Paying homage to her father, Suzy opened La Petite Pierre with her sister. As chef/owner, she brought a French flair to their small bistro and catered for many Cincinnati families. She had the distinct honor of cooking for both George W Bush, Hillary, and Bill Clinton, Bruce Springsteen, and Julia Child.
During her 25 years as a restaurateur and caterer, Suzy began to feel the need to change the trajectory of her clientele. And so, she gained a new sense of purpose by redistributing catering food overages to those in need.
Then in 2014, she made a huge leap of faith when she sold her ownership in the company to her sister and officially launched La Soupe.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
On a national scale, food insecurity has more than tripled during the pandemic in households with children, reaching 29.5% (Northwestern Institute for Policy Research, 2020). Ohio is now among the five states with the highest percentage of households facing food insecurity (Impact of the Coronavirus on Local Food Insecurity, Feeding America, 2021). Percentages continue to increase in counties across the Greater Cincinnati Region – Hamilton (15.7%), Clermont (14%), and Butler (14.5%) – due to continued economic and public health crises (feedingamerica.org). Youth always suffer disproportionally: Hamilton (23.6%), Clermont (17.7%), Butler (19.5%), (ibid.). At the same time, more than 40% of the food produced in the United States ends up in the landfill. (Harvard Food Law and Policy Center, 2016).
Black families are more than twice as likely as whites to face food insecurity (NPR, 2020). According to USDA data, 19.1% of Black households and 15.6% of Hispanic households have experienced food insecurity in America since 2019.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
La Soupe registered as a 501(c)3 in 2015, working out of a 900-square-foot kitchen in Newtown, OH. In 2020, the organization moved to a 9,000-square-foot facility in Walnut Hills. The enlarged staff and operating headquarters made it possible for La Soupe to expand its community partnerships and serve the growing number of people suffering from food insecurity. La Soupe now employs 28 staff members, rescues more than 1,000,000 pounds of food each year, and helps more than 135 partner agencies serve their clients with dignity.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
La Soupe helps more than 135 local civic and social-service agencies serve their clientele with dignity, making meals accessible in 41 zip codes across the Greater Cincinnati Region.
La Soupe is the only chef-led organization that addresses food waste and food insecurity in the Cincinnati region. Chef-driven leadership guarantees a thoughtful and creative approach to rescued food. It also ensures restaurant-quality products and a professional approach to teaching culinary skills. Further, La Soupe recognizes that not every group has the same food needs – or tastes – and so eating habits vary from community to community. La Soupe employs a full-time staff member as a point of contact for partner agencies, so it can curate deliveries and prevent waste as much as possible.
“We love partnering with La Soupe! It’s been the saving grace for some youth who come to us hungry. Talking to youth over food is always a great way to build rapport. Meeting the youth’s immediate needs helps get to the next level of case management services. La Soupe has been amazing at helping Lighthouse achieve this mission!” – Kelly Dunnigan, Lighthouse Youth Services
“Words cannot express how helpful these meals have been. La Soupe has helped so many.” Gennell Stephens, Shelterhouse
“Y’all are my favorite meal program, hands down. I just love how we’re all better able to make use of community resources with your model.” Nathalie Fields, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
“I have never worked with an agency that is so efficient. Our clients love the meals. All of the meals were nutritionally balanced with fresh and wholesome ingredients. The meals we received gave our clients a chance to have a wonderful restaurant-quality meal that they will never be able to afford. The look on their faces after being offered these was priceless. They couldn’t believe that anyone would do that for them.” Carol, Little Flower Pantry
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lasoupe.org
- Instagram: lasoupecincinnati
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lasoupecincinnati
